In recent years, microfluidic devices, such as a minute reaction device, an integrated DNA device, or a minute electrophoresis device, are manufactured by applying microfabrication techniques, and these microfluidic devices have been attracting attention. The microfluidic device includes a very narrow reaction flow path, in which a chemical reaction or the like occurs, and thus can very effectively analyze specimens at low cost.
Patent Document 1 discloses use of the microfluidic device as a method for changing a temperature of a reacting fluid at high speed in a reaction device for providing a desired change in temperature of the reacting fluid.
In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, a device substrate is separated into a multiple of regions each having different temperature. Meandering flow paths are formed in the separated temperature regions to pass therethrough. Thus, the reacting fluid that travels through the flow paths has its temperature changed to a corresponding temperature in each temperature region. With such an arrangement, the fluid can have the desired changes in temperature only by allowing the fluid to flow through the meandering flow paths, which can achieve the high-speed change in temperature of the fluid.
Patent Document 1: JP 2005-192554 A